


Blumiere and Timpani's Forest Inn

by mr_mystery



Category: Super Paper Mario (Game)
Genre: Becomes domestic, Blumiere doesn't have feet, Dimentio's an asshole, Dimentio's unmasked in later chapters, Dream Sequences, F/M, It starts as a sickfic, Most of the humor in this came from my friend who helped me write this, My First Fanwork, Some characters are OOC I'm sorry, The O'Chunks/Nastasia is really minor, This happened because of a dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 16:29:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11421795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mr_mystery/pseuds/mr_mystery
Summary: An unmeasured length of time in the life of newly reformed Count Blumiere, and his beloved Lady Timpani.Blumiere gets sick, Nastasia is the Ultimate Best Friend, and Dimentio is a huge asshole with lots of emotions.





	1. Chapter 1

#####  _“I cannot shake the feeling that Tippi is alive somewhere...”_

Together at last, the two lovers set out to forge a new life for themselves. Things were rocky at first, of course. They hadn’t seen each other in many a month, and in that time they had both changed drastically. Of course they still loved each other, but there were some things that were just too large to ignore, and they had to talk about it sometime.  
  
  
They talked. A lot. At first, it was simply done to fill silence. Soon enough, though, it turned into the kind of conversation that made the two fall in love in the first place. They shared little jokes and told stories of their adventures apart from one another. Blumiere mostly listened. He enjoyed listening to Timpani talk -- and the adventures she went on were entertaining, and brave, and bold, and he couldn’t be prouder.  
  
  
Their inn started as a small cottage in the middle of a forest. Weary travellers going through the forest to get to one town or another would go to the Inn and ask if they could stay. Blumiere would bring them to a room, and Timpani would cook. It’s as though they had an ever changing family.  
  
  
As word got out about their little inn, more and more people came, and the two began to expand their cottage with the money they had earned from all their prior guests. They didn’t ask for money to stay in their inn. They only asked that if their visitors could donate something, even something small, that would be all the payment they needed.  
  
  
Their inn got larger and larger, until it was a known fact that travellers and adventurers and everyone in between stayed at the Forest Inn during their travels. Things were going well. Blumiere rarely had to resort to magic to solve conflicts, and him and Timpani were well loved across the land.  
  
  
One night, a very calm night with only two visitors in the inn, Timpani started to reflect on everything that had happened. She went outside to the back of the inn, where there was a small clearing nearby. She loved to visit it when she needed some time alone, and Blumiere respected that, only going to the clearing to bring her tea or blankets if he felt as though she needed it.  
  
  
Lifting her white dress and sitting down on the grass, she looked up to the sky, towards the moon. She let out a soft giggle, remembering her adventures in space with Mario and co.: the little green alien, Squirps, who turned out to be son of Queen Squirpina XIV. She wasn’t fond of the little green alien, but now... she missed him. She missed his antics, and how childlike he was. Timpani soon let out a sigh, laying back in the grass. She missed Mario. She missed Princess Peach, and Bowser, and hell, she even missed Luigi, for the short time she knew him. She missed all of the Pixls who helped them on their adventure.  
  
  
A small turtle, hiding its head mostly in its bright blue shell, came waddling over. Timpani let out a wistful sigh. “This is a Buzzy Beetle... It's much tougher than it looks...” Timpani recited, remembering the first time Mario had asked her about the creature, “Max HP is 1, Attack is 1, and Defense is 3. Even flames won't scorch its hard shell... Sometimes, they cling to the ceiling and drop down on your head when you walk by... Not very friendly, Buzzy... Shame on you...”  
  
  
The Buzzy Beetle jumped, turning the other way and running off. Timpani shook her head, resting her hands beneath it so she would be more comfortable. She turned her head a little and looked back to the inn; almost every light was off, but a couple were on -- one of the rooms they had a guest in, and the main area. _Blumiere must still be cleaning up from dinner,_ Timpani thought to herself.  
  
  
Blumiere hadn’t been looking too healthy as of late. He had been getting winded by doing everyday activities, and had been sleeping for longer than Timpani had ever seen him sleep before. _Maybe I shouldn’t’ve left all the chores for him to do..._ Timpani thought belatedly, standing up and going back over to the inn. A Squig, whom she had essentially adopted as her pet, followed her to the door, waddling behind her.  
  
  
She opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, as she knew the door creaked, and she definitely didn’t want to give Blumiere a headache. She looked up to the man at the kitchen counter.  
  
  
Blumiere was gripping the counter like his life depended on it, and his breath was heavy. His head was hung low, his dark blue hair in his face. He didn’t notice Timpani enter the room, which was startling enough on his own -- he always knew when his beloved walked in.  
  
  
“Blumiere?” Timpani asked, her voice soft at first. She didn’t want to startle him. The man didn’t respond. Instead, his arms began to tremble, as if holding himself up was the most difficult task in the world. “My Blumiere, what is going on?”  
  
  
“Timpani...” Blumiere murmured, finally looking up to her. Sweat covered his face and he looked ready to throw up. Instead, however, his arms finally gave out and his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor with a groan.  
  
  
“Blumiere!” Timpani shouted, rushing to his side. The man was still breathing but it was laboured and looked difficult. Timpani rested her hand on his forehead and cringed when it practically burnt her.  
  
  
The shriek alerted the two guests, and they both made their ways over, though one of them looked angry that he had been so rudely awoken. His anger faded, however, when he saw the two resting in the kitchen. Timpani jerked her head up and looked to them, panic in her eyes.  
  
  
“H-help me get him to a bed, a-any one of them will do... p-please!” she stuttered, knowing she was too weak to lift him on her own. The stronger of the two visitors nodded, going over and lifting Blumiere as if he weighed nothing. He was carried to one of the nicer-looking beds, and laid down gently, trying not to disturb him too much. Timpani rushed back to the kitchen, going to get some ice to see if it would help her beloved’s fever break.  
  
  
“He’s real warm,” the person who carried him over remarked, an eyebrow raised, “Warmer than anyone from the Tribe of Darkness should be.”  
  
  
Timpani returned, placing an ice cold washcloth and a bag of ice on Blumiere’s forehead. “You know where we come from, then?” she asked, trying to calm herself down. Blumiere groaned, and she squeaked in fear, watching as her beloved’s face contorted in pain. “Oh, my love, please hold on...”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three former minions show up, and Timpani is understandably a little nervous.

Days passed. Many, many days passed and yet Blumiere didn’t get any better. He was whispering nonsense in his feverish haze, looking terrified of everything around him. His eyes would rarely open, and when they did, they always locked with Timpani’s. The poor man looked so... pathetic, like this. Timpani had only ever seen him like this once before, and that didn’t last very long at all.

Visitors continued to come to the inn, asking for a place to stay, and for the first time in all the months that the inn had been open, Timpani had to refuse guests. She couldn’t handle running the inn alone and taking care of her beloved, who got worse and worse as days passed. Every person she turned away, however, she turned away with a message.

_“Wherever you are going, please. Ask them for help. My Blumiere will not last much longer, there is only so much I can do.”_

People stopped coming to the inn when Timpani repeatedly turned people away. Whether they didn’t return due to spite or something else was never discovered. All Timpani knew was that her Blumiere was on the cusp of having his game ended.

It had been a couple of weeks before the inn saw another visitor. Three visitors, in fact. One, a small green girl, with pigtails and a frilly dress; one, a large, former-army general, with mussy facial hair and a grin; one, with blue skin and purple hair tied into a top knot.

“I-is the C-Count here?” the blue-skinned woman asked, adjusting her red-rimmed glasses. “O-oh! L-lady Timpani...”

“Nastasia...?” Timpani asked, disbelief colouring her face, “Mimi? O’Chunks? What in the world are you doing here?”

“We got your distress call, silly!” Mimi exclaimed, walking over and giving Timpani a hug, “We brought some medicine... we’re not sure what all is going to work, so we brought all sorts of stuff!”

Timpani moved out of the way to let the three of them go to Blumiere, her heart pounding again. _Maybe it’s because I still don’t entirely trust them..._ she thought to herself as Nastasia settled next to Blumiere’s bed. O’Chunks rested his hand on Nastasia’s shoulder, smiling down at her. “Relax, lass. ‘e’s gonna be okay. After all, ‘e’s the Count! Nothin’ can tear ‘im down!”

“I-I know. I just can’t help but worry, y’know?” Nastasia murmured, looking at Blumiere’s face and reaching out to touch his forehead. She, too, withdrew her hand quickly. “He’s...”

“He’s been like this for days... maybe even weeks now,” Timpani explained, coming over and sitting next to Mimi, “I... I’ve been asking everyone that I could to get help, but... y-you’re the first to show up.” Mimi wrapped an arm around her as tears began to fill her eyes. “I’m... so worried about him.”

“We’re here to help,” Mimi replied, her voice soft for once, which startled the other former minions. “We brought as much as we could, to help him.” The shapeshifter took her ruby-bejeweled purse off and opened it, showing the contents to the innkeeper. “The only remaining question is... which do we try first?”

“We don’t exactly know what he’s sick with,” Nastasia mused, brushing some hair from Blumiere’s face. The man stirred a little, and everyone snapped their heads to look at him. After a couple of minutes of trying, Blumiere finally opened his eyes.

Timpani rushed to his other side and took his hand, running her thumb over his knuckles. Blumiere blinked a few times, trying to focus his vision and failing spectacularly. “T-Ti... Timpani...” he croaked out weakly, trying to ground himself to reality. She squeezed his hand, letting him know it was, in fact, her. “Timpani... m-my... my head... i-it hurts.”

“Nastasia? Can you get me some ice?” Timpani asked, looking to her. She nodded, standing up and hurrying to the kitchen. Blumiere groaned softly, and Timpani brought his hand up and kissed his knuckles, “You’re going to be okay, my love. I promise.”

Blumiere blinked again, this time in confusion, as Mimi walked up behind Timpani. He let out a soft, pained laugh, closing his eyes. “I-I must still be dreaming...” he murmured in disbelief. Mimi giggled, getting closer, and she poked his nose with a smile.

“Nope! Not dreaming, Count!” Mimi exclaimed. Blumiere opened his eyes again, his eyes finally focusing on the green figure in front of him. “We’re here to help! Me, O’Chunks, and Nassy! All of us are here!”

“N... N-Nastasia...? Sh-she’s here?” Blumiere asked, his voice breaking a little bit. Mimi nodded, and she waved the young secretary of evil over. Nastasia hurried over, placing a small bag of ice on Blumiere’s forehead, causing him to flinch and let out a soft whine. “N-Nastasia...”

Timpani moved back, knowing that Blumiere needed time with his former minions. She stepped off, going back to her clearing, letting the four of them speak in peace. Nastasia looked over Blumiere’s weak figure and let out a sigh. “I’m right here, Count. We all are. We’re here to help you feel better.”

“M-my loyal minions...” Blumiere coughed out, shaking his head, “No... m-my loyal friends. Th-thank you... I-I know this whole ordeal... h-has been tough on my beloved Timpani... y-you are making things easier on her. Th-thank you.”

“Yer actin’ like yer game’s ‘bout to end, Count!” O’Chunks bellowed, throwing his arms up into the air. “We ain’t gonna let yer game end, an’ that’s a promise! We’re ‘ere teh help ya recover, we ain’t gonna let yeh suffer!”

Blumiere let out a soft, pained laugh, shaking his head a little bit. “Your enthusiasm never fails to make me smile, O’Chunks,” he mused, coughing afterwards. “I appreciate it.” Concern coloured the three former minions’ faces as Blumiere kept coughing, the fit ending a couple minutes later with an exhausted Count, on the verge of passing out.

“Before you go to sleep, Count, please, take these,” Mimi urged, placing two small capsules in his hand, “These should help you feel better.”

“Th-thank you, Mimi...” Blumiere whispered. He took the pills -- with much assistance from his friends -- and he fell unconscious, his head hanging limply to the side. The three former minions looked at each other, a sinking feeling in their guts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nastasia is such a good friend.

The three of them didn’t leave the inn, and Timpani was thankful for their company. They all took turns looking after Blumiere, giving Timpani time to make up the much-needed sleep she hadn’t been getting since her beloved got sick. They tried every medicine that Mimi had in her purse, but nothing seemed to work -- in fact, some of them made Blumiere worse. Things began to look grim, and Timpani wasn’t sure how to deal with the whole thing.

“I’ve lost him once,” she explained to Nastasia, tears dripping down her face, as the two sat in Timpani’s clearing. “I can’t lose him again. We need to find something to help him... w-we need to...”

“Mimi is going to make her way to the nearest town tomorrow,” Nastasia assured, hugging Timpani, her voice wavering. “She’s going to see if she can get anything else to help him. This is the least we can do for him... he saved all of our lives, we’re going to do the same for him.”

Timpani giggled a little, wiping her eyes. “I-isn’t that similar to what O’Chunks said, th-the night that we destroyed the Chaos Heart? That Blumiere saved his life, so he’s willing to sacrifice his own to help him?”

“How did you remember that?” Nastasia asked, feeling a little sheepish, as she didn’t remember the conversation at all. It was probably because she was on the brink of a Game Over, but still...

“I remember most things from that adventure... a-after having my memory wiped by Blumiere’s father, I... I made it my goal to remember as much as possible. The adventures I had with Mario... e-even though they got tough at times, a-and even though they were dangerous...” Timpani let out a sigh, reaching around to the back of her head. In her spare time, she had made a hair clip replica of her Pixl form, and wore it as much as she could. She unclipped it from her hair and held it reverently in her hands, her pet Squig trying to make itself comfortable in her lap again. “I loved them. Every moment was worth living, and... the adventure ended with me reuniting with my beloved. A twisted tale, for sure, but... a happy ending was written in fate for me and Blumiere, it seems.”

Timpani fell silent. The last sentence was starting to seem like a lie to her, and it made her heart ache. She wanted nothing more to spend the rest of her game with Blumiere, but... it seemed as though that wouldn’t be possible. His game looked like it was going to end soon. Nastasia, noticing her inner turmoil, hugged her again, careful not to jostle the hair clip in her hands too much.

“We’ll save him. He’ll be back to being his usual self in no time, ‘kay? I don’t have him pencilled in for a 2-o’clock-game-end, which means it’s not going to happen.” This statement made Timpani giggle a little bit again, nodding. Nastasia silently asked for the hair clip, and Timpani nodded, handing it to her. She stood, moving to stand behind her so she could braid the former Pixl’s hair and clip it in to hold it together. “There. Perfect. Things are going to be okay, Timpani. I promise.”

“‘Ey! Lassies! The Count’s awake!” O’Chunks called from the back door to the inn, a grin spread across his face. “‘e’s askin’ for yeh, Lady Timpani!”

Timpani stood, scooping the Squig up in her arms and rushing inside. Nastasia followed quickly after her, and she closed the door behind them when they stepped in. Timpani set her pet down on the floor and it waddled off, going to fall asleep in the kitchen as she made her way to Blumiere.

He was sitting up, which was a surprise, but O’Chunks admitted that him sitting up was his doing. He looked better, though, and his forehead wasn’t as burning hot as before -- it was still hot, however, and still cause for alarm. “M-my lady Timpani...” he croaked out, reaching out for her. Timpani wrapped her arms around him.

“My beloved! Y-you are awake, oh thank Merlon, you’re awake...” Timpani whispered, tears streaming down her face. Blumiere reached up and gently caressed her cheek, smiling weakly.

“J-just barely, but yes. I... I am awake. I don’t know for how long, but...” Blumiere coughed into his arm, but recovered quickly, smiling again. “I couldn’t leave you in the dark for very long, my love.”

Timpani let out a weak sob, kissing Blumiere’s forehead, though she recoiled again at the heat, “Y-you are still very sick, my beloved... w-we still have not found a cure... but, whatever we are giving you seems to be working...”

“A little bit, yes...” Blumiere coughed again, falling forward and resting his forehead on Timpani’s shoulder. “I get... random bursts of strength... b-but this is the first time I’ve awoken due to them, isn’t it? B-by the way Mimi squealed when I awoke...”

Mimi giggled, nodding a little bit, “Well, now that I’m Miss Merlee’s handmaid, I get charms for a discount, you see. I was wondering if it was working...”

Blumiere groaned, and Timpani gasped when his skin reached the burning temperature it was before. “Th-they... d-don’t last for very long...” he gasped out as O’Chunks helped him lie flat again. “N-nngh... i-it... i-it hurts, Timpani...” O’Chunks stepped back, letting Timpani take her place next to him again. “I-I don’t want my game to end, beloved... I-I want to stay with you, a-as long as I can...”

“I won’t let your game end, beloved, I promise,” Timpani assured, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Mimi, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to begin your journey early, we cannot wait any longer.”

The shapeshifter nodded, lifting her purse from the floor and getting ready to leave. “I’m going North, that’s where the nearest town is. I’ll be back as soon as possible, okay? Stay alive for me, Count! I want to see your smile when I get back!” With that, she ran out the front door of the inn, her new heels tap, tap, tapping away as she went. Blumiere only groaned in response. Nastasia went to grab the small bottle of the most recent medicine they tried, and quickly handed Timpani two of the capsules.

“This should... hopefully hold him over until Mimi returns,” Nastasia explained as Timpani helped Blumiere take the pills. Blumiere whined pitifully, his eyes closing again, and with that he fell unconscious once more. O’Chunks rested his hand on Timpani’s shoulder, his grin fading a little bit.

“I promise yeh, Lady Timpani. ‘e’s gonna be okay. ‘is game can’t end like this, I won’t let it. Hell, I’ll go out meself to find medicine if I gotta.” O’Chunks sounded... scarily serious, and all Timpani could do was nod. She was losing hope, and fast, so any semblance of faith that she could scramble to hold on to was a like godsend for her. O’Chunks hugged her for a long moment before letting her go. “Go git some sleep, lass. Yeh look exhausted. I’ll wake yeh if anythin’ happens, a’ight?”

Timpani only nodded, kissing her beloved’s forehead again before trudging to their room. She changed out of her long, white dress and into a pair of white silk pajamas, and she unclipped the hair clip, setting it on the bedside table. She left her hair in the braid so it would curl, and she laid down on the large bed, cringing at the emptiness.

“I love you, Blumiere,” she whispered out of habit, curling up into the large, plush covers. When she heard no response, she teared up, trying to go to sleep before she broke down into a sobbing mess.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timpani dreams, and sees everyone's favorite jester.

That night, she dreamt of the Overthere. Well, her dreams started in the Overthere. She was lost, and alone, in the cloudy haven, searching for anyone who could help her -- a Nimbi, a Pixl, a person, anyone who could tell her what was going on. She made her way to the Overthere Stair and hiked over the large, rainbow bridge, eventually going face-to-face with the large staircase. She hopped up it, deciding she had nothing else to lose.

Timpani pushed her way inside of the Overthere Shrine, a calming tune echoing through her ears as her heels tapped against the marble flooring. Her steps were slow and calculated, as if she was waiting for something bad to happen. She approached the back of the Shrine, where she and Mario fought Bonechill, and looked around.  
_“Hello? Is anybody there?”_

Her voice echoed off the marbled walls, but met deaf ears, as no one responded. She let out a soft sigh, turning around to leave the Shrine. In the doorway stood the towering figure of Queen Jaydes, facing away from her, talking down to someone.

_“You are aware of the crimes you committed, yes?”_ The Queen asked the person she was talking to. When silence followed, thunder cracked through the area, shaking the marble walls. _“I asked you a question, Count Blumiere.”_

_“Yes. I-I’m aware of the crimes I committed,”_ he answered, his head bowed. Timpani gasped, running over, wanting to see her beloved. The moment she got close, the white ground beneath her became a terrifying black, and when she looked down to inspect it, the rest of the world changed. When she finally looked back up to Queen Jaydes and Blumiere, she found herself in the Underwhere, standing in the black, cracked marble building Queen Jaydes held trials in.

Timpani gasped again, covering her mouth. She took off running towards them again, but seemed to be getting farther away instead of getting closer.

_“Count Blumiere. I am afraid that the sins you committed as Count Bleck outweigh your virtues. Your attempt to bring about the end of all worlds is a crime that is punishable with a fate worse than anything you could ever imagine,”_ Queen Jaydes explained. Blumiere nodded his bowed head. _“Look at me, Bleck.”_

Blumiere lifted his head slowly, alarmed that she would use that name with him. _“Y-yes, your Highness?”_

_“I wish I could extend my offer to tip the scales in your favour to you, but I’m afraid I can’t. I know you’re happy with Timpani, and I... I know she will end up in the Overthere. But I cannot, in good conscious, send you there knowing what you've done.”_

_“May I ask a question, your Highness?”_ Blumiere asked. Queen Jaydes nodded, and the man cleared his throat, _“Why is fate so against Timpani and I’s love? It seems as though everything we are thrown at is trying to separate us.”_

_“I’m afraid that’s a question I can’t answer,”_ Jaydes answered regretfully. Timpani stood there, in shock, tears streaming down her face. She tried running towards them again, and let out a squeak as she and Blumiere were lifted into the air.

_“Ah ha ha ha ha!”_ came familiar laughter, as the two floating figures were trapped in large, glass-like boxes. Blumiere looked up to Timpani and began to pound on the inside of his box, trying to reach her.

_“Timpani!”_ Blumiere shouted, his voice strong, like it should be. He didn’t look sick anymore.

The familiar laughter continued, getting louder now. The snap of gloves fingers echoed through the area as the Underwhere faded away, leaving them in a completely white world. A purple-and-yellow sparkle began to shine between the two glass boxes, and Timpani froze, knowing exactly who it was.

_“DIMENTIO!”_ she shouted, her voice wavering. The laughter stopped, and in place of the sparkle between the two boxes was the jester himself, his mask cracked and falling apart.

_“Ah ha ha! Hello again, you two. I’ve missed you,”_ the jester mused, looking between the two of them. Dimentio looked worse for wear -- aside from the cracks in his mask, his outfit was singed and burned, with tears and holes all over. _“You know, escaping the Underwhere is more difficult of a task than I had suspected. Queen Jaydes definitely has a hold on the place.”_

_“Dimentio, what are you doing?!”_ Blumiere demanded, his fist cracking the glass a little bit. The jester looked startled, but began to laugh again.

_“I just wanted to say hello! Yikes, you need to relax. You know, Blumie, your conversations with Jaydes are really worrying. You’re not even TRYING to get into the Overthere!”_ he exclaimed, sitting on top of the box. _“Without intervention, you don’t have much time left to do so.”_

_“How do you know that?!”_

_“I’ve been... keeping an eye on you,”_ Dimentio admitted, looking down at him. Timpani was still stunned to silence, so Dimentio kept talking. _“Ever since you two became the embodiment of the Purity Heart, I... became the embodiment of the Chaos Heart. And I’m trapped in the deepest pits of the Underwhere, near where Bonechill was kept. I wanted to make sure you two were doing well, but obviously, you’re not.”_

_“Wait... Blumiere, is that YOU, or am I dreaming you?”_ Timpani finally asked, her heart beating faster. Blumiere looked up to her and nodded a little.

_“No, it’s... it’s really me,”_ he assured. Dimentio nodded as well, confirming, just in case his assurance wasn’t enough.

Dimentio moved to sit on Timpani’s box instead, laying back on it and letting out a depressed sigh. _“I wish I could see you in person. I heard you got the gang back together, like a reunion of an old rock band. But... this is the best I can do, for now, so you’re one keyboard player short it seems.”_ His sigh of anguish didn’t go unnoticed, and Blumiere narrowed his eyes.

_“What the hell’re you going on about, Dimentio? You turned your back on us and tried to kill us so you could bring about the end of all worlds,”_ Blumiere spat, angry. Dimentio nodded.

_“I’ll admit I was, to borrow a term from O’Chunks, ‘an asshole’, but I’ve had a lot of time to think while in the deepest pits of darkness.”_ Dimentio let out another anguished sigh, sitting up and floating between the two glass boxes. _“I’ll see you two again sometime soon. Don’t die on me, Count. Ciao.”_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a talk, and Mimi finds out that Blumiere can't wear socks.

Timpani awoke in a cold sweat with a gasp. She held her chest as she looked around the room, trying to look for Dimentio, and she found nothing. Looking out the nearest window, she realized with a jolt that it was already midday the following day. She stood and clipped her Pixl hair clip back into her braid, grabbing her robe and walking out of the room.

“Ah! She awakens!” O’Chunks cheered from the kitchen, raising the large, wooden spoon in his hand. Pancake batter splattered across the cabinets, and Timpani nodded numbly, walking over to Blumiere. She took his hand and sat down next to him, her heart still beating fast.

“Beloved... you saw him too, right?” she asked, belatedly realizing he wouldn’t answer. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually, the Count stirred, answering her question with a weak groan and a nod.

Blumiere’s eyes opened a little, startling Timpani, as he nodded. “I-I did see him... I-I... s-so that was you... y-you saw my conversation with Jaydes?”

Nastasia looked in from the foyer, amazed that Blumiere was even awake, let alone speaking. Timpani just nodded, kissing Blumiere’s hand. “I-I saw... w-was what Dimentio said true? D-do you not have much time left?”

“I-I... I’m afraid not, beloved. Jaydes has come to speak to me while I have been asleep so we can discuss my... options...” Blumiere explained, squeezing Timpani’s hand sadly. Timpani shook her head in disbelief, and the Count sighed. “I’m afraid I’m not lying to you, love.”

“No... no, I won’t believe it!” Timpani shook her head again, tearing up. “For once, Blumiere, I want you to be lying! Please, there must be something we can do! Th-the medicine Mimi’s getting, th-that must help some! O-or, m-maybe Dimentio has a cure! W-we can’t just give up, Blumiere!”

Blumiere raised his hand, wiping Timpani’s eyes with a soft sigh. “I’m getting close to doing so, beloved... I don’t think I can hold out much longer. Th-the charm Mimi bought is... well, it’s one of the few reasons I’ve stayed alive this long... th-that, a-and your love, Timpani.” He let his hand fall back to his side, and he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Nastasia came over with a glass of water, handing it to Timpani so she could help him get some liquid in his system.

“D-did you mention Dimentio?” the secretary of evil asked as Timpani helped Blumiere drink the water. She nodded, and Nastasia gasped. “I-is he making a return?”

“He might be, and...” Timpani set the empty glass down and took Blumiere’s hand again, “I would not be opposed to his return if it meant Blumiere stayed alive.” Nastasia covered her mouth, and Timpani took this moment to explain. She explained the dream she had, and Blumiere interjected every once in awhile with details from his side of the dream. Nastasia stayed quiet throughout the whole conversation, only nodding to let them know she was still listening.

“... he’s trying to escape. If he can make it into our dreams, I’d say he’s getting pretty close, too,” Timpani mused, squeezing Blumiere’s hand. The weakened man nodded in agreement. “If he does come back, though, we need to be ready, as he’s been isolated since the Chaos Heart manifested within him so his people skills are worse than before. I’m not sure if he knows where the inn is, but chances are he can find us easy once he’s out of that pit.”

“I’m... pretty sure he knows where the inn is,” Blumiere groaned out, his head suddenly pounding from the intense migraine that showed up practically out of nowhere. “If he could find... n-not only dream me, but also dream you, h-he probably knows where to find us. W-we just... n-need to sit here and wait for him, I guess.”

Nastasia shot up, her glasses slipping off her face and falling uselessly to the floor. “Speaking of waiting... Mimi should be back any second now!” she exclaimed, and Blumiere couldn’t help but laugh. It started out as a soft sound, but turned into a full belly-laugh, and it didn’t seem to cause him any pain. He kept laughing, for a good few minutes, causing everyone to smile (and Nastasia to blush, embarrassed). When he finally calmed down, he was still smiling, looking tired, but marginally better than before, simply because he didn’t feel so miserable emotionally anymore. Timpani squeezed his hand again, and he smiled warmly at her.

“Sorry... I’m... not quite sure what came over me,” he admitted, a chuckle lacing his words. “But... i-it felt nice to laugh again. I-I’ve missed it, truth be told.”

Timpani giggled a little, nodding in agreement. “Your laughter truly is something unique... I will never tire of hearing it. Your laughter made everyone smile, just look around us. Please, Blumiere. Don’t leave me without your laughter, I don’t know how I would be able to deal with life without it.” She kissed his knuckles, and he chuckled again, nodding weakly.

The front door swung open, and Mimi stepped in, looking tired from her nonstop journey, but happy to be home with everyone. She considered everyone in the inn her family, of course, and she was relieved to be home. “Guess what I brought!” she trilled, skipping over. “Oh! Count, you’re awake! Yay!”

Blumiere laughed again, nodding. “That I am, Mimi, and for once I don’t feel like I’m going to burn to a crisp.” Mimi let out a cheer, sitting down next to the bed and opening her purse.

“YOU may not feel it, but you are still most definitely burning up,” Timpani scolded, though her words packed no heat and she was smiling. “Though, you do look better.” Blumiere smiled at her, then turned his head to watch Mimi dig through her purse, the shapeshifter holding her tongue between her teeth with the most intense look on her face.

“Where is it... where is it... haha!” Mimi giggled, looking up at him. “Alright, I got you TWO things. One is medicine, and the other...” She pulled a small, white bag from inside her purse and shoved it at him. “Here! Open it, open it!” Rolling his eyes with a smile, the Count did what he was asked, though he stared into the bag with a look of pure confusion on his face.

“Did you... what... are these socks?” Blumiere asked, bewildered, as he looked up to the shapeshifter. She nodded excitedly, and he let out a baffled laugh. “You got me socks?” She nodded again, and the Count kept laughing. “You are aware that on a typical day, I do not have feet, right?”

Mimi stared at him, dumbfounded. “I... wh... y-you don’t have feet?!” she asked, standing up. Blumiere belly-laughed again, setting the socks down next to him on the bed. “I thought... but... you... what?!”

“I only do when the situation calls for it. But, typically, the situation does not, so I do not have them,” Blumiere explained to the dumbfounded girl, still laughing. “Similar to Dimentio only having hands when he needs them?” When she didn’t say another word, Blumiere took it as his cue to try and stop laughing so hard, running a hand through his dark blue hair. “Mimi, thank you, really. I’ll be sure to wear them when I can.” Timpani couldn’t control her giggles as the shapeshifter slumped over in her chair, defeated.

“Don’t worry, Mimi,” Timpani assured. With that, the girl straightened up again, nodding, as she dug through her purse once more.

“The socks weren’t the main event, though,” Mimi said with a giggle, pulling out a bottle with ice blue liquid in it. “This is. A supposed cure-all, from the potion maker in town!” Blumiere eyed it apprehensively, an eyebrow raised.

“A ‘cure-all’, huh? Usually those are just red herrings, or whatever they are called,” he remarked, forcing himself to sit up a little bit more. “They don’t usually work. I’m... hesitant, but I’ll try it, just for you.” He smiled at Mimi, who giggled and handed him the small bottle. He uncapped it and took a whiff, unsure of what to expect.

“The lady said don’t drink too much at once, try and drink a little each day,” she explained as Blumiere brought the bottle to his mouth. With a nod, he tipped it back and drank some before handing it back to Mimi, shuddering a little at just how cold it was. The sensation of his throat turning to ice travelled down his body to his stomach, and he shivered, pulling his hand from Timpani’s to hug himself for warmth. His breath was barely visible when he spoke again.

“Th-th-this b-better w-w-work...” he stuttered out. Timpani looked at him, concerned, as she wrapped a spare blanket around him. “I-I _h-h-hate_ the c-cold.”

And work it did, though it was slow. Day after day, after Blumiere took the ice-cold medicine, he slowly began to recover. It wasn’t until Timpani felt his forehead and didn’t get burned, however, that they realized things seemed to be looking up for them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's favorite jester boy shows up again, and he isn't exactly _lying_ about everything...

Blumiere had no more dreams involving him and Queen Jaydes. He had no more conversations with her about what he was to do when his game ended, nor where he was going to go, or if he qualified for “game-changing reincarnation” (whatever that meant). He went to sleep willingly, with no fears that he wouldn’t awake and get to see his beautiful Timpani.

A week and a half went by of blissful, dreamless sleep, until Blumiere was forced into a dream, standing behind Queen Jaydes not unlike Timpani had before. Jaydes was talking to a shorter figure in front of her, her voice commanding and terrifying.

_“What in the world do you think you’re trying to do?”_ she asked the figure in front of her. The figure let out a nervous laugh, and this made Jaydes lose her temper. _“This is no laughing matter, Dimentio! What do you think you’re trying to accomplish?!”_

_“I-I...”_ he started, lowering his head. With shaky hands, he removed his mask, but his face was obscured from Blumiere’s view. _“I want to see my family again. They might not think of me as such, but... I think of them as such.”_

Queen Jaydes straightened up, her head held high. _“Your family?”_

_“My family,”_ he repeated with a nod. By the way his voice wavered, Blumiere could tell he was on the verge of tears. _“The people who treated me with respect and brought me in, acting as though I was one of their own. The ones who helped me fulfill my prophecy. The ones who I treated like dirt... a-and... th-the ones I realize I never should’ve betrayed.”_ Dimentio paused, only to wipe his eyes before continuing. _“Mimi and Nastasia are the sisters I never had. O’Chunks, that brutish bloke, was the older brother I always wanted. And... and the Count. Dammit, I treated him like dirt, and only now do I realize how much he meant to me. How much they all meant to me. A-and now...”_

Jaydes looked at him, her face softening as she watched him drop his mask and hit the floor on his knees. She didn’t say anything, however, and let him continue. _“N-now the Count is on the verge of a Game Over. H-he doesn’t deserve a Game Over.”_ Dimentio let out a gasp of pain as he clutched his chest, a silhouette of the Chaos Heart surrounding him. _“I-it took solitary confinement and months of being alone to realize how much they meant to me. I used them, a-and I don’t expect them to want me back. But... I want to help the Count.”_

Blumiere was in complete shock at the words, standing still behind Jaydes with his mouth agape. He had never heard Dimentio be so... sincere, about anything. He was pretty much certain that what he had heard was never meant for his ears, but what he had heard made him falter a little bit. He definitely still didn’t trust him, of course. But... hearing this information flicked a switch inside of his brain.

He watched Dimentio lift a chunk of frozen, smoking ice before awakening with a start, his breath catching in his throat. “He... wants to help me?” Blumiere asked to no one in particular. Since he was doing better, he wasn’t on constant watch anymore, so the only ones in the room were him and Timpani’s pet Squig, who was curled up next to him and snoring away in a way only Squigs could.

“I can’t believe it... he... thinks of us as family. After everything he did to us...”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimentio's back in the real world, and Blumiere _hates_ the cold.

Blumiere was up and walking soon enough, but he needed to use a cane so he wouldn’t fall flat on his face every three steps. Timpani helped him walk wherever he needed to go, and he seemed as though he wasn’t sick at all anymore. But, although the cure-all was the miracle they were looking for, it didn’t work completely. Blumiere’s body heat would flare every so often and leave him sweating and grasping his cane for dear life, afraid he was going to fall over again.

His natural body heat was colder than Timpani’s, so him being so warm all the time was a change Blumiere was kind of okay with. He hated the sensation of always feeling cold, but whenever he was with his beloved the feeling took a backseat to his pure joy and love he felt with her. However, if being warm meant he was still sick, he’d take constantly feeling chilled any day.

Blumiere was standing on the back porch with Timpani, looking out to the forest around them. “One of these days, we should explore more of this place,” he remarked, looking to her with a smile. Timpani nodded her agreement, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her and brought her close. “We could leave the inn to Nastasia, Mimi, and O’Chunks for a few days while we explore.”

“You want them to stay?” Timpani asked, looking up to him. He shrugged a little bit, looking away and back to the forest around them.

“They are my closest friends. They are my family. If you do not trust them, they don’t have to stay,” Blumiere reasoned, a sigh escaping his lips. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen them. I’ve missed them, and I’ve been hoping they’ve been happy since we left them.” Wordlessly, Timpani rested a hand on his cheek and brought his face over to look at her.

“I’ve learned to trust them, beloved. They’re nice people when you get to know them,” she mused, pressing a soft kiss to his nose. “You can understand my initial apprehension, but now... I like them. I wouldn’t mind them staying.”

Blumiere’s smile was infectious. The way his top teeth and a little bit of his bottom teeth showed as the smile spread slowly across his face would be enough to brighten anyone’s day. He wrapped his arms around Timpani and, surprisingly, lifted her up, laughing. “Thank you, beloved,” he whispered in her ear, setting her down. He kept his arms around her for a long moment before letting her go, still smiling, and he leaned on the porch railing again. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate the extra help, as well.”

Timpani giggled a little, running a hand through her long, white hair, careful to avoid hitting her hair clip. “Nastasia has already sent a message that the inn is open again.”

“We’re open again?” Blumiere asked, his smile fading a little. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke again. “I’m... not healthy again, though. What if I get other guests sick?”

“That won’t be a problem,” a familiar voice came from the roof of the inn, frigid smoke cascading down from above them. “After all, with this, you won’t be sick anymore, and you can go back to your stupid, boring life of innkeeping and romance.” Blumiere and Timpani both turned around and looked up to the roof, where Dimentio sat, his mask in worse condition than before but wearing a cocky grin. A large hunk of ice sat in his gloved hand, and he folded his legs, kicking one over the other in an overdramatic moment of silence. “You should be thankful, Blumie, I went through hell for this. Literally!” He burst out laughing, throwing his head back. The two lovers stared up at him in shock, and Blumiere instinctively went to stand in front of his beloved, his cane held tightly in his hand like a weapon.

“Dimentio... what the hell are you doing?!”

The jester kept laughing, to the point where his torn hat fell off. It revealed a head of shaggy hair, half black and half white, split perfectly down the middle. “You watched me talk to the Queen, Blumie, you should know EXACTLY what I’m doing. Here, I’ll go put this inside and be on my merry way.”

“Your... merry way...?! Where are you going to go after this?!” Blumiere yelled, clutching the cane tighter, causing the man on the roof to laugh harder. “This isn’t anything to laugh about, Dimentio, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“The Queen asked me the same thing, though you should know that,” Dimentio said in lieu of an answer, snapping his fingers on his free hand. He disappeared from the roof and reappeared right in front of them, and the jester poked Blumiere’s nose with a grin, his hat under his arm. “You need to relax. You’re so uptight. I know betrayed you, but that is in the past! Now, I’m here to return you to proper body temperature, like putting an overheated oven in the middle of an igloo!”

With that, he floated inside, causing the three former minions to yelp in alarm. “‘Ey, what the hell’re yeh doin’ here, yeh demented jester from--”

“Oh, O’Chunks, how I’ve missed you and your estranged accent!” Dimentio said with a laugh. Timpani and Blumiere both stumbled their way inside, and Blumiere was ready to spring into action if necessary. Mimi stood, her neck already cracked once, the beginnings of rubies starting to spring from the floor beneath her.

“You’re not hurting the Count!” she yelled, her voice somewhere between her typical one and her true one. “I’ll put a stop to you if I have to.”

When Dimentio kept laughing, she readied for her neck to twist, but he set the smoking ice down in the sink in the kitchen and raised his hands in mock-surrender. “Relax, Mimi. I do not intend to make a trophy of Blumie’s monocle anymore.”

“Will you stop calling me that?” Blumiere asked, more irritated than worried now. The jester seemed like he wanted to get on his every last nerve, and he walked over, wobbling a little bit. “The only one who would be allowed to call me that at all is Timpani, and she doesn’t, so I shouldn’t be hearing it from your mouth.” Dimentio jumped and sat on one of the counters, folding his arms and finally putting his hat back on.

It took him a moment of adjusting it before he looked down at Blumiere, smiling. “That’s like asking me to remove my mask! It’s a task I cannot accomplish.”

“I watched you take off your mask, Dimentio. I know it’s doable.” These words caused the jester to sit upright, fear evident in his stature, which caused Blumiere to laugh a little. “I didn’t see your face, relax. Fear, while it suits you, is not something I’m wishing on you at the moment.”

Dimentio took a steadying breath, obviously spooked by Blumiere’s words, and he turned back to the sink. “In here is ice from the deepest, darkest, coldest, most desolate pit of the Underwhere. You, my Count, need to consume some.” Blumiere shuddered, shaking his head, and this did not go unnoticed by the man on the counter. “It’ll return you to normal body temperature and steady your system. As you are Tribe of Darkness, everything about your body is colder. The heat you have been feeling since the night of your collapse has started to burn your insides like unattended hotdogs on a backyard barbeque.

“Giving yourself ‘freezer-burn’ on your insides should initiate a reset process on your insides, so they can return to their natural coldness and you can go back to normal. Fighting one extreme with the other, not unlike what we did before, no?” Dimentio grinned, waving a hand over his own chest, as the faintest outline of the Chaos Heart made itself known. Everyone else fell silent, and Blumiere looked down.

“We are running out of the cure-all from the potion maker... if we run out, who knows what will happen?” he eventually mused with a sigh. “I do not trust you, Dimentio.”

“But! As you said, you are running out of time,” the jester warned, gesturing to the ice in the sinks. “Do you not trust me enough to risk losing your life?”

Blumiere looked up to him, sneering. “Last time I trusted you, I nearly lost it as well. It’s a lose-lose situation.” Dimentio feigned hurt, resting a hand on his chest and throwing his head back, and he managed to stay like that for a moment before laughing again.

“Look. Just do it. It’s Queen Jaydes-approved, but you can take that however you see fit. After all, if the Queen of the Underworld approves of something this important, it could also just be her wanting to add your soul to her collection.” Dimentio began to look at his gloved hands, pretending to inspect his nails. The other three former minions looked to each other worriedly before looking to the Count.

He walked over to the sink and looked down at the smoking ice. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at Dimentio. “How much do I have to consume?”

“That’s the spirit, Blumie!” he exclaimed, reaching over to break off a decent-sized piece for him. “I suggest wearing gloves while handling this, should you not want raisins for hands.” Blumiere nodded a little, looking over to Nastasia. Getting the hint, she nodded and walked to his and Timpani’s room, returning with his white gloves. After the Count put them on, Dimentio handed him the chunk of ice, leaning on the ceramic around the sink. “You’re built for cold. You’ll be fine.”

Timpani came over, resting her hand on Blumiere’s back. “Are you sure?” she asked, and he turned to look at her with a weak nod. She let out a sigh and nodded as well.

The crunch of the ice was louder than anyone thought it’d be, and it startled Mimi to the point of jumping. The three former minions made their way over as well, watching as their beloved Count ate the chunk of ice. Dimentio looked on boredly, waiting to see the results. Blumiere’s breath was immediately visible again, except instead of a small puff, it was a large, frigid gust of wind. He shuddered, shivering as he moved to hug himself.

“S-s-s-so c-c-cold...” he whispered, his teeth chattering. Dimentio rolled his eyes, though he let out a teasing laugh.

“Of course it’s cold, Blumie. It’s ice. The coldest ice in existence.”

O’Chunks shuffled off to get Blumiere a blanket as he kept shivering, leaning over the kitchen sink so he could lean on something. Timpani rested her hand on Blumiere’s bare arm and was both relieved and alarmed to find him pleasantly cool, but steadily getting colder. Dimentio hummed a familiar song under his breath as O’Chunks practically swaddled the Count in the giant blanket and lifted him up like a huge, fluffy burrito.

“Sleep. That’s what you need to do now,” Dimentio called after them as O’Chunks carried him to his room. “It’ll take a few days to recalibrate your body, so don’t be mad at me if it doesn’t work immediately!”

Timpani followed after O’Chunks, and when he set the Count down, he left with a weak smile. “Let’s ‘ope Dimentio ain’t killin’ the Count, yeah?” he said. Timpani nodded in agreement before going to sit next to Blumiere on the bed. O’Chunks went back out to the main area, where nobody else had moved an inch.

Eventually, Dimentio broke the silence by snapping his fingers and teleporting over to Mimi. “So, how has the dream been coming along? I heard you work for Merlee now, you’re one step closer to your dream of a ruby-filled pool with cute boys as lifeguards.”

“H-how did you remember that?” Mimi asked, taking a couple of steps back so Dimentio was in reach of her rubies but she wasn’t within reach of his grasp. Dimentio shrugged a little, moving to plop down on one of the foyer couches instead.

“It doesn’t matter. Instead... let us catch up, yes? I’m sure you all have led much more interesting lives than my aftergame. Come, come. Sit down with me and have a chat.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big family breakfast time!

When Blumiere awoke again, warm arms had engulfed him and an overwhelming feeling of safety cascaded over him. Blinking the tiredness from his eyes, he tried his best to figure out why he felt so safe and happy, only for a fond, happy smile to break out on his face. Timpani was next to him, her arms wrapped around him, the former-Pixl happily asleep. Dawn’s light shone through the window, and Blumiere gently shook her awake, smiling.

“Beloved... wake up,” he said, a slight cloud of frosted breath puffing from his mouth as he spoke. Timpani shifted, and Blumiere laughed. “Come on, we have a breakfast to prepare. I have a couple of recipes I want to try, I haven’t been able to try them until now.” When Timpani finally awoke, she did so with a smile, nodding a little.

Blumiere got up and threw the blankets off, going to get changed -- finally -- into something more practical for daywear. Looking to the bag with the socks on it on the top of his dresser, he smiled, deciding to wear them around the inn for the day. After changing, he went out to the main area, stopping dead in his tracks in front of the doorway.

All of the former minions were asleep in a pile on the floor. O’Chunks was being used as a pillow, with Nastasia snuggled happily into his arm. Mimi was laying flat on top of him, curled up on her side. Dimentio had his head on O’Chunks’s stomach, next to Mimi’s legs, most of his body laying on the wooden floor beneath them. His hat was discarded, sitting on the foyer coffee table, and his mask was resting next to him, revealing his scarred, pale face, his black and white hair hanging limply over it.

Blumiere stared at the scene in front of him in disbelief. For a moment, he was convinced he was still asleep. Deciding it wasn’t worth it to rouse them, he slipped past them, grabbing his cane from where he left it the day before and going to the kitchen to begin breakfast. Timpani did the exact same thing when she stepped out of their bedroom, though she nearly did wake them up before joining her beloved in the kitchen.

“You saw that too, right?” she asked, and Blumiere turned to look at her with a smile. He nodded, taking a deep breath.

“I didn’t expect Dimentio to have his mask off,” he admitted, turning back to making the Fruit Parfait he had started. He had gotten out six parfait glasses and was working on each individually, wanting to give himself a mindless task so he could get back into the rhythm of doing normal things again. Timpani shook her head, grabbing a couple of Big Eggs from their fridge and going to the stove to fry them.

The two of them made enough food to feed a small army by the end of it. Six Fruit Parfaits, six Fried Eggs, six Mixed Shakes (with enough Peach Juice and Mango Juice left in case anyone wanted some after), a dozen Sap Muffins (with some Dayzee Syrup for a topping), both Koopa and Herb Teas, and only a few of a dish Timpani had seen the cook at Hot Fraun’s make -- Dyllis Breakfast.

Mimi was the first one to wake, and she made her way to the kitchen with a tired yawn. “G’morning, Count. G’morning, Timpani...” she greeted. She quickly snapped her head up to look at Blumiere, smiling. “Count! You’re up!”

“I am, I am,” he greeted, smiling, a Fruit Parfait in his hands. “It’s nice to be awake, up and about, for sure.” He leaned against the counter and took a spoonful, eating it happily. He crossed his legs as he stood, trying to subtly show Mimi that he was wearing the socks she gave him. When she noticed, she gasped, running over.

“You’re wearing them!” she exclaimed, causing him to laugh. “You’re actually wearing them! They look good on you, Count!”

“I like them. They’re really comfortable, and they’re soft,” he admitted, gesturing with his elbow to the spread him and Timpani had made. “Take what you’d like. We can always make more if we run out. Oh, do you mind waking everyone else up before you get yourself settled?” Mimi nodded, going to wake them up before grabbing anything. Timpani came over and leaned on Blumiere, and he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

When Dimentio walked in, it was obvious he forgot he wasn’t wearing his mask. He greeted the two of them tiredly and walked over, taking as many muffins as he could hold in one arm and a shake before walking to the main dining table, setting his breakfast down and plopping down in a chair in front of it. Timpani couldn’t help but giggle.

Next was both Nastasia and O’Chunks -- the secretary was sitting on his shoulder, obviously not wanting to be awake at the moment, and O’Chunks was letting her lean on his head. “What looks good to yeh, Nas?” he asked, shrugging his shoulder to get her attention. She yawned, adjusting her glasses as she looked over the spread.

“All of it... surprise me, ‘kay, O’Chunks?” she said with a yawn, closing her eyes. O’Chunks smiled, nodding as he grabbed some of everything, going to sit with Dimentio at the table. He set Nastasia down in her own chair and let her grab some stuff from the cornucopia of things he had gotten for them.

Mimi finally came in to grab her food, having already changed into a pink dress with frilly pink scrunchies for style to keep her pigtails together. She grabbed a parfait and a glass of peach juice, taking a muffin and some eggs when she thought the two cooks weren’t looking. She, too, went to the table, sitting next to Dimentio and nudging him a little when she realized he had fallen asleep again in his pile of muffins.

The two lovers came out to join them not soon after, and after Timpani set her breakfast down in her usual spot, she went to go bring Dimentio some Herb Tea, knowing it would help him wake up. Once everyone was settled and happily eating, Blumiere cleared his throat.

“Good morning, everyone. How did you sleep?” he asked, looking around the table to his former minions, a happy, warm feeling in his heart. “You all look pretty tired still.”

“We talked. A lot,” Dimentio explained, mouth full of muffin and Dayzee Syrup. “About everything. We needed to get back on the same page, you see, so we were up until several hours ago talking.”

It still hadn’t dawned on the jester that he was maskless, something he had feared the Count seeing since he met him. Now that he was awake, Blumiere could see his eyes, and needless to say, he was both astonished and unsurprised. One of his eyes had an iris that was a bright yellow, so bright it was almost disorienting -- the other eye was completely black, sclera and all. His pale skin was covered in scars, and some of them looked disturbingly like claw marks.

Dimentio swallowed his muffin, and the other former minions nodded in agreement, confirming his words. Blumiere chuckled a little, taking another spoonful of his parfait and putting it in his mouth. “Is that why you all fell asleep on O’Chunks?” When everyone but O’Chunks nodded, it took all of Blumiere’s strength not to spit out his parfait as he laughed. Timpani rolled her eyes with a smile, taking Blumiere’s free hand and holding it.

“Quite the bunch you’ve amassed here, beloved,” she remarked, looking at each of them as they returned to eating. Blumiere nodded in agreement, the spoon still in his mouth. She giggled, releasing his hand so he could continue eating.

The morning chat was surprisingly calm and cheery, despite Dimentio being there. He didn’t talk much, no, only interjecting with terrible jokes every once in awhile that fell flat more often than not. Blumiere laughed at each of them, though, which made everyone smile. They kept up that dynamic most of the morning, not realizing they were doing it.

When breakfast was finished, Nastasia volunteered to help clean up. Her, Timpani, and Blumiere spent the good part of an hour cleaning up as, out in the foyer, Dimentio sat on a couch playfully teasing Mimi, who looked more and more flustered as time went on. O’Chunks had appointed himself mediator, if Dimentio’s comments went too far, but none seemed to.

“Nastasia?” Timpani said, getting the young woman’s attention, “Do you mind going to make sure everything is clean? I suspect we’ll be getting guests today.” She nodded, drying her hands before leaving, going to do what she was asked. Blumiere, after drying his hands as well, went over and wrapped his arms around Timpani.

“I love you, Timpani,” he murmured in her ear, smiling. Timpani smiled, placing her hand on his cheek and turning his face so their mouths met in a sweet kiss.

“And I love you, Blumiere,” she replied, dropping her hand. Blumiere kissed her again, resting their foreheads together.

“I’ve missed being able to be so close to you, beloved,” Blumiere said with a soft sigh, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Being sick was awful, and completely inconvenient. I’m sorry I put so much stress on you... you did not deserve that. I must’ve scared you half to death.”

Timpani sighed as well, resting her head on his. “That doesn’t matter now. What matters is you are healthy again... I was worried you would never be.” She brought her hand up and around, resting it on the back of Blumiere’s head, in his hair. “But now you are, and here you are. Your family’s here, too.” Blumiere leaned into the touch with a sigh of content.

“This is true. Everyone’s here... well, on my side, everyone’s here. What about the friends you made, on your adventure?”

Timpani lowered her hand, looking down. “They’re going on other adventures. They don’t have time to come by... b-but... that’s okay. Knowing I helped them once is enough. And... your family is my family now, too.” Blumiere kissed her cheek, nodding a little bit.

“We can send them a letter, if you want. There’s bound to be someone who knows where to deliver it to in town,” he suggested, kissing her cheek again before loosening his grip around her. She stepped away and nodded, though she only stepped away so she could finish the dishes. Blumiere sighed softly. “I’m going to go check on everyone else.” When all he received was a nod, he stepped out of the kitchen, going to the foyer.

Dimentio still hadn’t put his mask back on, and it was sitting on the coffee table, next to where he had kicked up his feet and was lounging. He was laughing, as Mimi stormed over to him, flustered beyond belief. She began to shout at him, but his laughter overtook her shouting. “Relax, relax, Mimi! You know I don’t mean it. Though, I must say, the look on your face is beyond entertaining.”

“Quit being mean to her, Dimentio,” Blumiere scolded as he walked past, only barely sparing them a second glance. Dimentio pouted.

“Fine. Whatever you say, Blumie,” Dimentio answered, rolling his eyes. “You know I’m just teasing her, right? I’m not being inherently mean--”

Blumiere turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. Mimi started to smile as she sat down, and Blumiere came over. “Dimentio? There’s one thing I feel like you should know.” Dimentio tilted his head, confused, as he had expected to be scolded. “I like the look without the mask. Don’t let me keep you from wearing it of course, but I think you look good without it, too.” With that, he stepped away, and Dimentio... well, despite the fact he was pale, he went paler, having completely forgotten he wasn’t wearing his mask around the Count.

“... Dimentio? Are you okay?” Mimi asked him, her smile fading a little. Dimentio took his feet off of the coffee table and lifted his mask, inspecting it wordlessly, his eyes drawing to every crack, no matter how large or minute they were.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimentio dabs, Blumiere is a dad, and the jester realizes that he's pretty okay with his life now.

Visitors began to come to the inn in droves again, and just as Blumiere predicted, they were very thankful for the extra help. Everyone had a job to do -- even Dimentio, who, since that morning with his mask off, would hide himself away in the room they gave him and contemplate -- and while it was rocky at first, things eventually stabilized and they were going well.

The jester wore his mask as much as he could the days following, and no one could corner him to ask him why without him flipping to Dimension D to get away from them... well, no one but Blumiere, but he didn’t have time to corner him and ask him if he was okay. The inn was under construction so they could expand, and that left Blumiere with very little time for anything, him and O’Chunks doing most of the work themselves.

Once the construction was over, however, Blumiere spent an increasing amount of time with Dimentio. They didn’t always talk. Sometimes they just sat in silence, and Blumiere would read a book or do some writing as Dimentio laid on his back and contemplated his existence. He was comfortable with that. Sometimes you needed silence, of course. Though there were times where Dimentio would talk Blumiere’s ear off. He’d tell stories, or talk about his time in the Underwhere, or explain why he tried to do what he did back when Blumiere was Count Bleck. The jester would pour his soul out to the man, and he would listen, and he would remember important details, and he would give advice or share smiles with him.

Baby steps.

It was a slow day, with only three people at the inn, when Dimentio took his mask off again. He set it on his bedside table, face up, and left it there after he got dressed -- when not in his jester garb, everyone learned, he enjoyed wearing fancy tailored suits, in all shades of purple and yellow. He left his room and didn’t treat his masklessness as a big deal. He simply walked from his room to the kitchen and made himself some Koopa Tea before walking to the foyer and sitting on a couch.

Blumiere was sitting across from him, a book in his hands and a pair of reading glasses sitting on the edge of his nose; Timpani was curled up next to him, a book also in her hands, and when Dimentio sat down she flicked her eyes up and gave him a small wave before returning to her book; Mimi was wandering around the inn, looking for something to do, and when she saw Dimentio she, too, waved, with a smile. Dimentio, with an awkward smile on his face, raised his arms, bending one of them in front of him and tilting his head towards it. Mimi snorted, covering her mouth as she watched the spectacle.

“That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,” she remarked, giggling, as she walked past. Dimentio’s face turned a light pink as he stared at her, watching her walk away. Blumiere chuckled softly, rolling his eyes.

“You tried. That’s all that matters,” he remarked before returning to his book. Dimentio sputtered, staring at him now.

“I-if I would’ve known I would be... I-I... ugh!” he huffed, folding his arms and retreating into the couch he was sitting on. “You people are impossible. Absolutely impossible.” It took him a good ten minutes to will the heat away from his face before he finally went to drink his tea, cringing a little. It had become lukewarm, and that was quite possibly his least favorite thing in the world. Still, he drank it, not wanting to get up and make more.

Timpani closed her book and looked up to him, smiling a little bit. “We saved you some breakfast, if you’re interested.” Dimentio nodded, taking his mug of lukewarm tea and going to the kitchen. A sudden thought stopped him in the doorway, and he looked down to the liquid... almost numbly.

_Why are they being so nice to me?_

Dimentio stood in the doorway of the kitchen, unmoving for about fifteen minutes, not even realizing that much time had passed. He only moved because Blumiere came up to him, looking at him, concerned.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Dimentio nodded a little, moving out of the way. Blumiere raised an eyebrow, not buying it. “Tell me the truth, Dimentio. Are you okay? You’ve been spacing out for a quarter hour now.”

Dimentio put his mug in the sink and turned to look at him. “It was that long? It... only felt like a few seconds.” The jester didn’t meet Blumiere’s eyes as they spoke, instead looking to the floors. “Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Dimentio,” Blumiere replied, leaning on the counter next to him. “Well, nothing to be sorry for now. You’re one of us.” He smiled, nudging Dimentio with his elbow. The jester let out a weak laugh before falling silent again, his eyes fixated on a black speck on the floor. Blumiere followed his eyes and let out a sigh, shaking his head. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” the jester blurted out, looking up to him, a look of pure disbelief and worry on his face. “Why are you doing any of this for me?! Since when did I deserve your kindness and hospitality?!” Blumiere recoiled a little bit, stunned. “After everything I did, and how... how I betrayed you, how can you even stand to be in the same room as me?!”

Blumiere, finally coming back to his senses, put both his hands on Dimentio’s shoulders. “Do you want to know why? Because you left the Underwhere just to save my life. You saved my life, Dimentio. And you’re trusting me enough to see you without your mask. That’s huge.” The Count brought Dimentio in for a hug, and the jester froze, his hands shaking. “I know you’ve still got problems. We all do. But dammit, we’re a family now. We’re here to help you.”

“... B-Blumie, I...” he stuttered, staring dead ahead. “S-since... since when was I your family?”

“You said it yourself, Dimentio. We’re your family. Now stop acting like you can’t talk to us about things,” Blumiere said, releasing him from the hug. “We’re here for you. All of us. Timpani and I, O’Chunks, Nastasia, Mimi... all of us are. Hell, if you need to, I’m sure Timpani’s Squiglet would lend you an ear if you needed it.” This caused Dimentio to laugh a little, a weak smile spreading across his face. “The Forest Inn is your home now, Dimentio. We’re your family. And don’t you forget it. Now... get something to eat, I saw you went to bed without dinner last night.”

Dimentio rolled his eyes, but kept smiling, nodding a little. “Will do, Blumie.” Blumiere nodded, smiling, as he left the kitchen, his job there done. Dimentio looked through their food stock and grabbed a couple of Koopa Dumplings, taking a bite of one as he walked back to the foyer. He passed Nastasia, who waved at him with a smile, and he smiled back.

“Koopa Dumplings, huh?” Timpani asked, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “An unorthodox breakfast, but I suppose it’ll do.” She lifted her book from the table and began to read again, now leaning on the arm of the couch, as Blumiere was out running the front desk.

“Since when have I done something the orthodox way?” Dimentio retaliated with a grin, his mouth full of dumpling. “I, for one, like living dangerously. Dinner for breakfast is one of those ways.”

Timpani gave him a knowing smile, laughing a little bit. “You just like the taste of Turtley Leaves in anything.” When Dimentio’s face flushed the same bright pink as before, she laughed again, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. It’ll be our little cooking secret, okay?”

Dimentio let out a weak laugh, nodding his head a little. “That’s fair.” He took another bite, relaxing into the couch, and when he saw Timpani looking at him, he smiled, despite having food in his mouth. She snorted, going back to her book with an exasperated laugh.

“You and your dangerous living habits,” she joked. Dimentio’s smile softened a little bit, and he kicked his legs over one of the legs of the couch. He felt... safe, and happy, which was a first for him. He hadn’t felt this way in... well, almost as long as he could remember. He was content to lounge around on the couch all day, and for once, he did.

Never once did he retreat to his room. Never once did he flip into Dimension D when he got overwhelmed. He just... stayed put, letting himself be bored for once. It was a nice change, and one he could live with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tell I wrote this whole fic in two days, huh.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I want to say thank you to one of my closest friends for giving me ideas for this and helping me write it! You rock.
> 
> Lemme know what y'all thought! Don't tear me apart _too_ much, but some tearing-apart is always good for a writer's soul, ahaha.
> 
> With that... expect to see some more of Blumiere being a dad and Dimentio being emotional and shit in the future! These characters are fun to write, ahaha.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for checking this out! I hope you guys enjoy! It means a lot to me that you'd even consider checking this out, lmao!


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